Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-11-04
THE FALL OF Mis- 'LlAklM
SAUNDERS.
CCopyriqht, ,ss7, by s.s. Mcclure

bic against hisha for heGviu' the on to the
town, amt they, Mis- Liakim =
Old Israel Holiday leaned over the
stone wall OF the poor-form, II Drowned
and weather.beaten figure, his back bowed
by years and burdens, bu; his blue eyes
pathetically childish and hopeful
The poor farm was Il pleasant place on
this mellow September morning; "A great,
square, hospitable honse, siivered and
messed by time, with Il background of
vei!owinc maple leaves and, beyond those.
deep-bue misty hills, melting into the
tender, pale blue of the sky: and along
the wall golden rod and asters had flung
a banner OF the royal colorS that might
nave graced q palace.
But to the thri(ty New England soul OF
Mis- Iiakim Saunders there was degra-
Gation in the very atmosphere.
She was Il little, anxious, energetic
woman with very black eyes, and Il long
neck on which Time seemed to have re.
corded his triGmphs in hieroglyphics,
while he had lett her small, apple-lIke
cheeks quite smooth. Her hair, combed
of her high forehead ina widows peak,
was stll back. but il was rusty like her
black dress. and vaguely conveyed the
same impr, --ton OF presenting Il respecta-
Die appearance Gully by dint OF struggle
''lts a hurnia' shame, she said, hut
in tone winch detracted somewhat from
the force OF Che words. "SOme lays the
blame on to Adelinc, but | think Il mans
responsible Tor his actions, let his wife be
what she viii Reminds me of our first
parents. But son hadn't ought ought to
nave signed of 60 'Lisha, Cap'n Holt
day.
6'Lisha's well meanm." said the old
'Lisha is. but he want never one that
could get ahead, aud now with all that
Tamiy--Adeilue-s well meann', too,
but the neurulgy has flew to her disposl
non, they say it's apt to: and be hearty
she said Ia ate up mNen the valoo of
she didn't like to. see me settin round
readin' stories; she thought Pd.a been
better off il hadn't read so many when |
was young, IL came hard leavin the old
place; lotted on layin' my bones there
longside of Marthy, but she's been and
made her lonesome The old mans
knotted hands trembled us he wiped his
forehead. But it'll be different when
get Ben home!' he added, Frightening.
1t seemed fust CT, as if I couldn't bear
70 have him find me in the poor-house
but Ben amt one to blame aud despise
FOLKS. Seem as It twas mostly women
folks that lays up and keeps talkin'. |
hadn't ought to "a signed off to Elisha,
s'pose, bat want fit to take care Of my
self. I'd been through such II terrible
sight, There amt nobody in Bloomfield
that seems to realize Or believe what I'd
been through when come home"
Yes, yes, know" said Mis- 'Iiakim
soothingly.
The old man, who was sometimes "just
like other folks as his neighbors said,
was now wandering OF into that queer de-
h,I hi
he fell from the mast of his own vessel
the Martha Jane, striking upon his head,
and being taken up for dead. His brother
'Lisha's wife. Adeline, said the NONSENSE
cal fancy came al his reading so many
stories; for her part she wondered how
folks with their heads so chock full of lies
could ever tell who they were or where
they belonged
Poor Cap'n lsr'el thought himself the
deposed and bsnished king of same savage |
islands III the Pacific ocean, of which he |
claimed the discovery and whose location |
whom5oever would listen. most often to
an assemblage Of jeerihg boys in the VII
lage store, withswhom he alphabetically |
gentle and patient. The thrilling feature |
of Cap'n lsr'efs experience was the fact
that Ben, his boy Ben, was held a priso-
ner by the savages in the hope of q ran
som and that ransom it was the great
business of the old mans life to secure.
Bits OF coiored glass, pennies, If they
were bright ones, buttons and beads, an
old Jews harp, and a broken harmonica,
composed his collection. Mischievous boys
brought additions continually, and the
ransom might have been expected to reach
unlimited proportions, but there was
mysterious law of selection aud rejection,
and Cap'n lsr'al spent almost all his wax
ing hours seeking. seeking.
Folks don't understand, but | know
Aen savages." he would say.
Mis- 'Liakim had answered gently when
ne spoke OF his experiences, but she imme-
diately added, brisllly:
II gGess I'd better be going along, for
'Lsety's rrimnin' old Mis- Eo wler's bon
net, and thereli be dinner to GET
That's the way with em all; want to
get away as soon as | begin TO tell them
about The Gurus things that's happened
10 me- said the old man dejectedly.
You'd think they'd feel an interest
seem Robson Crusoe want nOtllin' to it.
and sem Ben's there yet, i'll the power of
z sight OF Ben, ana him and your
Mis- 'Liakim compressed her thin lips
tightly; the girls in her Sunday school
class said that when Mis- 'Liakim didn't
like anything she "puckered."
That makes me think of what 'L.ecty
gave me Yesterday; you hain't seen what
I've got for long spell, have you / de
clare IN lookin' for Il chance to send it,
now. Them savaGes'll he tickled to
death; no iear but they'll give Ben up for
that lot Of fol-de-rols And 'Lecty's blue
seads are the gem ol the whole For
Ben's sake she says, when she give EN-
TO me, and her lip kind OF trembled."
Mis- Lia1im pucliered again, more rigid
Is than before, while Cap'n lsr'el shuilled
teebly off in quest of dis treasure
Lecty's blue Venetian beads that her
seataring uncle had brought home to her
~nen she was a little girl, and which she
had treasured too carefully TO wear eX-
cept upon gala days. Could she have
been so silly as to sacrifice those to the
whim OF crazy old man
shes clear Saunders" said Mis- Lila
kim, puckering at a robin who discoursed
liquid plaintiveness from maple bough
Cap'n lsr'el came back bringing his col
lection, with the pleased eagerness of a
child in his face.
Here be |, towns poor said he, ="
but don't suppose Queen Victoria on
her, throne has got anything of so much
real valoo as these are to me-"
I'VE ought to lay up our treasures in
heaven where neither moth or rust do